Why is my calcium so high?!?

[talon4x4]

Decided to do some testing today and my calcium is thru the roof. I'm getting a reading of 700 with a Salifert kit. This is how I arrived at a reading of 700, not sure if its the correct way of doing it or not. I filled the syringe once with the CA-3 fluid, used all the fluid (no color change), filled again and stopped at a reading of .60, which = 200 (color changed). Added the 500 and the 200 to come up with 700. I did this twice and came up with the same number. Next I tested a batch of Reef Crystals I have made up for a water change. The water came up as 400, tested twice to make sure. The only thing I dose is the BRS alkalinity solution (soda ash) and BRS magnesium solution (Magnesium Chloride and Magnesium Sulfate mix). I also only topoff with lime water.

My current parameters:
dKH = 8.0
pH = 8.31
Temp = 81.1
Salinity = 1.025
Mg = 1500

Any thoughts??

 

[jfl14609]

do you have a ton of sps? Also how much of the 2 part are you dosing and at what rate

 

[disenchantedone]

I'd double check with a second test kit (friend of LFS). I use the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test. Pretty easy. I remember getting high Calcium readings when I used to use salt mixes like Red Sea and Kent. I use Reef Crystals too.

The other thought would be your limewater. Perhaps its doing too much calcium into your tank. I would use RO/DI water as your top off for now, and after a week verify your calcium levels. Then use BRS's calculator to know how much CA you're losing per week. Good luck!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

how/what do you use to check S.G. /salinity?

how do corals look?

 

[talon4x4]

do you have a ton of sps? Also how much of the 2 part are you dosing and at what rate

No, I don't have a ton of SPS, I have 5 smallish pieces. All the big coral are LPS. Plus a mix of zoas and softies.

I'd double check with a second test kit (friend of LFS). I use the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test. Pretty easy. I remember getting high Calcium readings when I used to use salt mixes like Red Sea and Kent. I use Reef Crystals too.

I wasn't going to have the LFS test because I tested the water I just made up and it was reading normal.

how/what do you use to check S.G. /salinity?

how do corals look?

I check salinity with a refactometer. All corals look good, but, I'm not getting any extension on the polyps of the SPS. However, the SPS is still growing.


My Ca has slowly risen to this level over a couple months without any Ca dosing. A couple months ago I was running around 450. I tested periodically and it was rising, 500 then 600. Now its been about 1 month since testing and I'm at 700.

 

[mr86mister]

Well this would be a good time to figure things out. Have you done anything different from a month ago?

 

[jfl14609]

IF you dont have much for sps is it possible tat your overdosing? When I had the 90 I dosed 30ml per day and no kalk. and I had some sps

 

[talon4x4]

I haven't done anything differently, except a few new coral additions.

I can't be overdosing, I don't' dose anything to boost Ca. Unless of course this is related to the lime water. But it was my understanding that the lime water won't raise levels, only maintain them.

 

[jfl14609]

I would get another test kit and confirm and do a water change. Are you using ro water?

 

[talon4x4]

I would get another test kit and confirm and do a water change. Are you using ro water?

Yes, I use RO/DI water. I thought about another test kit, but I tested the water I have made up for a water change and it reads 400 (Reef Crystals salt).

 

[jfl14609]

You never know

 

[S Helinski]

I don't really think you have a problem. I've had extremely high Ca and DKH levels in the past with no problems--not that I'd suggest maintaining them though...

Sean, try not dosing ANY limewater for an entire week--Just fill up the tank with plain RO. Keep doing your other additions like you have been. After a week--test the water again and record any changes. My best guess: After an entire week, you'll get like ~670 PPM of Ca, meaning that you are supplying much more than the animals need...

Steve

 

[pascal32]

Another test kit or the lfs is a good thought.

The kalk will add balanced kh and ca.

When adding the brs soda ash you should be adding an equivalent amount ca to maintain the balance.

The only exception to this I know of is to get the levels balanced when they are out of whack. Once things are good dose equal amounts.

What is your ph?

 

[tmz]

You are dosing Ca with the calcium chloride ie kalk. Calcium is used more slowly than alk when abiotic or biotic precipitation of calcium carbonate occurs. For each 20ppm of calcium used , 1 meq/l( 2.8 of alk) is consumed.Since you are dosing kalk and soda ash your alkalinity should be higher than 8dkh. I suspect you are getting some abiotic percipitation which would deplete alk more quickly than calcium allowing the calcium to climb over time while the alk remains at the 8dkh level. The higher magnesium also replaces some of the Calcium in calcium carbonae precipitation . High calcium has no known adverse effect on invertebrates but if it's too high and 700 is IME it can be difficult to maintain alkalinity without precipitation. Are you getting white mineral buildup around pumps and heaters or cloudy water?

How are you dosing the kalk? If you are dosing it cloudy then you may be overdosing at certain times.

 

[talon4x4]

I don't have any white mineral buildup in my sump (where I dose) or in my tank. I'm dosing the kalk as evaporation occurs (topoff water). I use a powerhead to mix the kalk for a couple hours and then I let it settle for a day before using it in the tank.

It sounds like I should stop using kalk for awhile and see what happens. I have to fill my topoff reservoir today, so that works out perfect.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!!

 

[StashuDave]

All that extra Ca is from the limewater you are dosing..... as previously stated, stop dosing limewater and just top off with R/O and your levels will slowly fall.

Dave

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

But it was my understanding that the lime water won't raise levels, only maintain them.

This is an unfortunate fallacy in the hobby, as others have explained.

The kalk is adding Ca+ to your water. It's a simple math thing - your tank is using Ca at a certain rate (taking out of the water), and the kalk is adding it at a certain rate. If the rates match, it will "maintain" the level. If the addition is faster than the subtraction, the level will raise. The kalk solution doesn't "know" it's only supposed to maintain levels.

IMHO, before you adjust or change anything, get a solid handle on your tank's pH and alkalinity levels. Kalk alters all three - so, if you suddenly stop dosing kalk, you'll see changes in all three - yes, you might want to get your Ca down, but if your alkalinity and pH are fine right now, you don't want them messed up in your effort to get Ca levels back in line. IME, corals are more immediately stressed by alkalinity levels and swings than calcium, so make sure you keep an eye on alkalinity if you stop using kalk. You might want to taper off your dose (i.e. use a lower strength solution instead of stopping alltogether) to avoid a sudden swing in alkalinity.

 

[talon4x4]

You might want to taper off your dose (i.e. use a lower strength solution instead of stopping alltogether) to avoid a sudden swing in alkalinity.

Good point. Thanks for the advice.